| |
History and culture
The Kaçkar mountains have a long and fascinating history. In legend, Jason and his Argonauts sailed by the Kaçkar in their search for the Golden Fleece. The ancient Greeks colonised the foothills on the Black Sea side of the range in the 8th century BC. In 401 BC the Athenian general Xenophon marched his 10,000 troops over the mountains following their retreat from Mesopotamia. Known historically as the Pontic Alps, the Kaçkar were on the fringes of first the Roman, then the Byzantine, empires. Christian Armenians settled in the area, as did their co-religionists from Georgia. The Georgian heritage includes some wonderful medieval churches, the Armenians have left some fine domestic houses and remnants of religious architecture. The Turks arrived in Anatolia in the 11th century, but it wasn’t until the 15th century that the Ottomans succeeded in imposing Turkish rule around the Kaçkar. The area's ethnic mix reflects its history, with Turks, Armenians, Georgians, Greeks, Hemşin and Laz all living in the area until 20th century nationalism upset the natural balance.
It wasn’t until the 19th century that travellers from Europe ‘discovered’ these beautiful mountains, with the formidable Victorian traveller Isabella Bird recording her impressions of crossing the range thus:
I was astonished with the magnificence of the scenery, and with the vast pine forests which clothe the mountainsides… an uplifted snow world of ceaseless surprises under a blue sky full of light make one fancy oneself in Switzerland, till a long train of decorated camels or a turbanned party of armed travellers dissipates the dream.
The camels and turbans have long gone. The mountains, fortunately, remain - and the Kaçkar’s alpine beauty is sublime.
The routes
The book contains 32 walking or trekking routes, ranging from a few hours to several days. Some cross high passes, but there are other, lower routes which you can do before the main passes are open. All routes have waypoints, altitude diagram, and clear walking notes. We give times but not distances.
The routes are clearly marked on the colour, waterproofed map that comes with the book.
The routes are based on five different start points; three on the south and two on the north of the main range. You can combine routes to make about 30 days trekking.
When to come
For trekking in the alpine zone, the best season is from late June through to the middle of September. At the moment the vast majority of trekkers come in July and August. In these two months the highest pastures are inhabited by the local people, the weather is (usually) warm and days are long. If you are familiar with walking in snow and (possibly) ice early spring is a possibility. Late autumn is also possible, but the days are shortening and evenings especially becoming much cooler. For treks below the alpine zone, the season runs from April through to October. Be warned, the Kaçkar are subject to real mountain weather – mist, rain, wind, sleet, hail etc – particularly on the northern, Black Sea facing side of the mountains.
Highlights
- Flowers - from snowmelt rarities to meadows of orchids, campanulas and vetches
- Butterflies - masses of fritillaries, blues and apollos
- Bears, mountain goats, ibex, wolves, deer still haunt the ranges
- Mountain lakes - ice-topped until July - and sparkling streams
- Climb Kaçkar - Turkey's 4th highest peak
- Eat muhlama (hot cheese fondue) with local corn bread
- Splendid 10th century Georgian churches and tiny chapels in superb settings
- Camp in flower-studded campsites remote from civilisation
- Pastoral life - summer yaylas, sturdy mezra houses, the hay harvest
- The Firtina (storm) river - and the Çoruh - Turkey's wildest white water
|
